The Choices We Make
by ATrulyRecklessDreamer
Summary: The night of the Kyuubi attack is drastically changed by a single choice, made in the name of motherly love. The aftereffects of this decision will shake the very foundations of the world, and uproot history as we know it. See Profile for more.


**The Choices We Make**

**Chapter One: Going Home**

-X-

_Disclaimer: Naruto does not belong to me, nor do the characters or concepts taken from other already published works. I only have rights to my original ideas._

-X-

Three individuals sat within the home of none other than Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage of the Village Hidden in the Leaves. To an outsider, it may have seemed like a polite conversation, but to anyone who knew the room's occupants well, it would be seen as a heated debate, which it was.

Minato himself sat at one end of the table, fingers tapping wildly upon the wood, "We can't do the birthing here, sensei. Do you not see how dangerous it could be? I don't have any doubt in Biwako's skill as a doctor, and I trust myself as the sealing artist, but as Hokage, I have to think about the village!"

"But as a father, and a husband, not to mention the leading expert on sealing arts in the whole of the Elemental Nations, don't you want the best care, the most advanced, and safe care for your child?" The old man who said this took a took a drag from the pipe in his hand, releasing the smoke into the air when he was done. "We have to think about the child, Minato. He is your son, after all."

The blonde sighed as his predecessor, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, argued his point. On some levels he could understand what the old man was saying, but he had an entire village to think about,

Minato stopped tapping his fingers and turned his crystalline blue eyes upward, his gaze sharp, "As a father, this, well, sucks. Of course I want my child to be born like every other kid, and with the best care and the best everything, really. But-"

"But the circumstances are not so simple, Sarutobi."

Biwako, Sarutobi's wife, let out a breath-at least someone at this impromptu meeting was thinking the exact same way she was.

Sarutobi and Minato both looked over, in the direction the voice had come from, and were met with the sight of Kushina Uzumaki, Minato's wife. Said woman, walked to the table and set down a tray of tea for her two guests, before slowly sitting herself in a chair Minato had quickly pulled out for her.

Kushina looked at Sarutobi dead in the eyes, "We can dream about a normal life and a normal birth all we want to, but the fact is that this birth is anything but!"

"Kushina, I feel your concern but-"

"There are no 'but's'! We are not a normal family and this won't be a normal birth. I am the Jinchuuriki of the Nine-Tailed Fox, Kyuubi, and Minato is right to be concerned. We need to protect the village, protect the people here. I know I'm not on any of the council's or anything like that, but I am Minato's wife, jailor of this beast, and this child's mother. I think we should listen to Minato and follow his plan. I'm sure he will make the right choices for the village and the baby."

"And for you," said Minato as he reached across the table and squeezed his wife's hand.

The red headed Uzumaki smiled.

Sarutobi sighed, puffing on his pipe. Perhaps they were right. The more and more he thought about it, he realized the that he really did not have the authority or the right to argue.

"I apologize," he started, his wrinkled eyes meeting the Uzumaki woman's, "This really isn't my decision to make, and perhaps you are right; I just want the child to be born here, within these walls. As a member of the Leaf."

Minato shook his head, "He will be a member of the Leaf. But this is for the good of the entire village, for everyone's safety. The Kyuubi… We cannot allow it to escape. And I, as Hokage, will take every precaution to prevent that."

Sarutobi nodded, glancing at his wife out of the corner of his eye. She did not look happy with him.

He would be reamed out when they returned to the Sarutobi complex, he was sure of it.

"Now that that's settled," Minato started, "here is what I have planned for the birthing."

Kushina tuned him out as he spoke, having heard her husbands plan a million times over already. She rested a hand on her enlarged belly, smiling as she imagined what the child would look like. Would he have her eyes, or Minato's beautiful sky blue ones? Red or blonde hair? There were other, less pleasant, Kyuubi related things she wondered about too, but chose to ignore them for the time being. She trusted Minato's plan.

As the meeting continued, and the final details were hammered out, it grew to be later and later. Finally, the Hokage showed his teacher and the man's wife out, and as he closed the door, he could already hear Biwako-sama scolding his teacher.

'I would hate to be him about now...', he thought, before turning to his wife.

He smiled as he looked at her; she sat in the same spot as she had all through the gathering, hand rested atop her stomach, blue-green eyes closed…

Everything would work out.

-X-

The next day, Kushina walked behind Biwako as the two made their way to the hospital for child's monthly check-up. As usual, the Sarutobi woman prattled on about detailed medicinal terms and such, all having to do with the birth, but the Uzumaki princess had long ago given up trying to understand them.

"Kushina?"

The red head stopped and turned around to face the person talking to her, "Oh, Mikoto!" She lifted her arm and waved, happy to see her friend. "How is Fugaku?"

Mikoto, wife of the head of the Uchiha Clan, Fugaku Uchiha, brushed a strand of hair to the side as she got closer, "On your way to the hospital again, it seems?"

Kushina sighed, "Biwako is getting really intense about everything baby related…"

The Uchiha matriarch tilted her head, "What do you mean?"

"Well," Kushina looked down, sighing again, "This is the third appointment… this week."

Mikoto sweatdropped, "Ehh…"

"KU-SHIIIIIII-NA!"

Both women flinched at the sound of Biwako yelling.

"Has she been walking this whole time, not noticing I wasn't there…?"

As the older woman rounded the corner, obviously steamed, Mikoto leaned forward and whispered, a very out of character way, "Err, after the baby is born, let me know, if, well…"

Kushina tilted her head to the side, confused, "Eh?"

"...if it really hurts as much as they say?"

"Oh Mikoto, I'm sure it isn't as bad as they say! That's all probably just-"

The red headed Uzumaki didn't get to finish as she was pulled away by an angry Biwako, Mikoto sweat-dropping as she watched.

-X-

On October Tenth, deep within the forests surrounding Konoha, the atmosphere was serene, quiet and peaceful. Except…

"IT FREAKING HURTS SO MUCH!"

The peace didn't last as Kushina Uzumaki gave birth to her baby.

They were inside a cave, protected by ANBU at every entrance. There were 2 of the most trusted assistant medical ninja present to assist Biwako, and of course, Minato himself. The inside of the cave had been outfitted with everything they would need to give birth to this child, from medicine to heart rate equipment. Everything was set, just as Minato had planned to keep his village, and family, safe.

"Uh…" muttered Minato, obviously concerned and uncomfortable, "I've never seen her like this. Will she really be alright?"

"Of course she will! You're the Fourth Hokage for Kami's sake, act like it!" Biwako knelt in front of Kushina, administering healing ninjutsu to dull the pain of childbirth, "Men would die if they suffered this pain! But women, women are strong! We can push and push and push and ignore the pain-"

Minato tuned her out, a wise decision, twofold; he was worried about his wife, obviously, but he also had to consider the village, and that meant keeping the seal stable. They absolutely could not let the Kyuubi roam free.

Not for any reason.

As Minato kept vigil on the seal

-X-

The last of the 12 most highly skilled ANBU Konoha had to offer guarding the entrance to the cave fell to the ground like a stone sinking in water, dead by the time he impacted the earth.

The killer, a cloaked figure, stood the last of the bodies, "Not even a single one was a challenge… I guess standards for ANBU really have changed since I was last here."

The man stepped over the corpse, avoiding the traps and alarms, as he had during the fight. Didn't want Minato to know he was here so soon, now did he?

He adjusted his cloak, grinning a sinister grin beneath the hood, "I suppose it's time to reunite with an old friend."

The man stepped into the cave, more than ready to accomplish his goal.

-X-

With one final yell, the son of the strongest Hokage to ever be seen throughout all of Konoha's history, the Yellow Flash, was born. The last son of the long lost Land of the Whirling Tides, was born.

"Naruto…" Kushina whispered as she held the baby boy, his hair the brightest yellow and his eyes the clearest blue, "Naruto Namikaze-Uzumaki. My darling son."

There was absolutely no sign of his wife's tenant, Minato noted, whatsoever. No markings of any kind. Surprising, but he was grateful. Naruto would not have to live with any stigma of what slept inside his mother.

Minato stared down at his wife, an impossibly wife smile on his face, and watched as she rocked the baby slowly, holding him close to her chest. His heart strings pulled as he watched his wife and his newly born son, who already took after him so much, together. 'This is what family feels like,' he thought. 'This is what I've always been missing.'

But their was business to be taken care of.

"Kushina," Minato whispered, leaning down to kiss her forehead as well as lay a hand softly on his son's, "We need to stabilize the demon's seal. It won't take long. He'll be with Biwako the entire time."

The redhead clutched her baby tight to her, biting her lip. She had to, but… no, she had to. There was no choice.

Slowly, carefully, she reluctantly handed over little Naruto to his father. Minato took a moment to just gaze down at the child, wondering just how it was possible to love something as much as he had come to in the last few moments.

He then carefully handed the child to Biwako, who was waiting with open arms. As soon as little Naruto left his hands and he moved back, an un-sensed presence appeared. Before Minato could say anything, it was too late.

A kunai pierced Biwako's jugular, and two hand's grabbed Naruto and disappeared, while she collapsed; dead.

"NO!" cried Kushina, eyeing the thief with an almost mad look in her once beautiful eyes, now turning blood red.

Minato's head snapped up, noticing that the as well as Biwako, the other two medical staff ninja were dead as well. His gaze, cold and as hard as the thickest ice, met the enemies, though he had only one visible eye, the rest of his face obscured in the darkness.

"How beautiful", the mystery man said as he juggled Naruto with his hand, tossing the now crying child slightly into the air, again and and again. "The miracle of childbirth."

He purposely dropped the child then, leaving him to fall almost two dozen feet to the stone below, and also, to his death.

"NARUTO!" the Uzumaki woman screamed out, falling off her bed and onto the stone floor, desperately trying to crawl toward her son before he hit the ground. Minato yelled angrily, throwing a kunai, fast as lightning, into the stone wall in front of him.

This, though, was no ordinary kunai. It was a specially made kunai, with a three bladed knife, and a seal inscribed upon the handle.

In a brief, but startling fast, golden light, the Fourth was in position to catch the child and hold him safely. As he landed he aimed his gaze upward, to where the mystery enemy had disappeared to. His eye's widened in terror as he saw the man throw the now unconscious Kushina, who had passed out in shock, over his shoulder.

"Congratulations on the baby," the hooded man sneered, before disappearing into a sudden vortex of some sort.

'Space-Time ninjutsu!', he thought with shock, immediately flashing to the inside of his house, where he always kept a large amount of his special knives.

Hurriedly, he burst into the nursery, setting Naruto gently down in his crib, "Don't worry, Naruto, I'll get your mother."

He grabbed a holster of kunai from the table as he flashed to his office, where Sarutobi awaited the good news.

As you can imagine, it was a shock to see his student and predecessor in such a state. "Minato! What is going on?"

The Hokage donned his clock, the kanji for fourth imprinted on the back side, "Call the ANBU and alert all ninja within the village. Send any available Chuunin and below ninja to search, the village, and order all Jounin and ANBU to search outside the gates, with a portion helping with the search inside out walls as well. Warm them of the danger the enemy apposes."

"What is going on, Minato?!" Sarutobi stood now, eyes wife.

"Kushina's been kidnapped," Minato said as he locked his eyes with the old man's.

With that, he flashed again, leaving no time to further question him. Not on by who or the specifics of what was happening. 'No, wait. From what he did say, there is no time at all!'

The Third hurriedly began to carry out his student's orders.

-X-

Kushina awoke, feeling shackles upon her wrist's. She cast her tired eyes around her surroundings, noting the oddly colored sky above.

"Genjutsu…", she whispered hoarsely, feeling weak and sore all over.

"Correct!"

Her eyes snapped upward, to see a hooded man, standing on one of the many, many interlocking and arching chains above her.

The man jumped downward, quite close to her, revealing one solid, prominent piece of evidence as to who he was.

His one visible feature, was none other than a Copy Wheel Eye, or rather, the Sharingan. The bloodline of the Uchiha Clan.

"Sharingan!" she gasped quickly, closely followed by a fit of coughing. "Why am I so weak…?", she wondered out loud when it had passed.

The Uchiha man laughed, "Why don't you turn around and find out?"

Considering it for a second, she slowing tilted her neck so she could see what was behind her.

Or rather, below her.

There, on a giant ball of rock, covered in ten's of thousands of chain's, thrashed what she had always kept locked away.

"What are you doing?! You're going to release the demon!"

"That is exactly what I am trying to do! And then, I will release it on the village, and finally have my revenge." He began to cackle, a hideous, poisonous sound.

"You're mad! If you release Kyuubi from its prison-"

He knelt, chopping her in the neck to knock her out again, no longer having the time to debate. Smiling, he lifted her shirt in order to expose her stomach, and thus, the seal that kept the Nine-Tails at bay.

'So Minato has included his Hiraishin seal into the containment matrix itself. I should have known, I wouldn't expect anything less. This means I'll have to hurry.'

He studied the seal a bit more, and then looked above himself, at the illusionary Kyuubi breaking it's chains. His single, blood red Sharingan eye started to spin madly, transforming itself into something only the greatest Uchiha's have achieved: a Mangekyou Sharingan. Next, he formed some odd seals with his hands, slamming them down onto the rock.

The Kyuubi's chain's started to break quicker and quicker, until, the very last one shattered, and along with it, thee illusion.

There, in the living world, stood the massive beast that was the Kyuubi no Kitsune, strongest of the nine great denon's, the Bijuu.

Kushina lay in a heap, not moving in the least.

Seeing this, the Sharingan wielder attached a seal to the Kyuubi, via kunai, something so small the rampant, roaring beast did not even notice.

He used his ninjutsu again to disappear, reappearing in that same swirling vortex. He was in a back alley, in the dark and seemingly alone, even with all these so called ninja running around.

He allowed himself a little smile as he slammed his fist down upon the stone ground he stood on, quickly moving the digits into the seal meaning 'Release'.

With a simple burst of chakra, the mighty demon disappeared from the abandoned forest…

...and reappeared in the very center of the Leaf Village.

-X-

Only moments had past when Minato appeared in a flash at the very same spot the mystery ninja had just left.

"Damn," the Hokage cursed, almost leaving.

Then, he caught a glimpse of red not to far away.

To his horror, there lay the battered up figure of his beloved. He fell to his knee's, shaking her lightly. "Kushina…? Kushina! Answer me! Please!"

A moment passed and Minato could feel the pain and the guilt welling up in his stomach, but then, to his relief, she moved a bit, fluttering her eye's open.

"Minato…" she started, then realized where she was and what was happening, "Naruto! Where is he? Where!"

"He's at home! Can you move?"

She tried.

She barely could.

He gently picked her up, and immediately flashed home, setting her on the bed in their room.

"Bring me Naruto,I need to see him! Make sure he's alright!"

The Uzumaki woman went into another fit of coughing, but insisted Minato bring their son into the room with her. She hid the blood from her cough from him, wiping it on her already red shirt.

As soon as she saw her baby she pulled him close, just holding him for a minute. Then, "You have to go. The village needs the Hokage's help, Minato!"

"I know." He kissed her forehead. "I think I have an idea." As he stated that, his eyes darted to Naruto, something he tried to hide but failed. "I have to go. I love you, Kushina."

She stared at the spot he had been a second before, before he flashed away. He wouldn't… He couldn't… Could he?

'Is he going to try and seal… that monster into our son?'

She asked herself these questions. But she already knew the answer.

He was.

-X-

It was absolute chaos within the usually serene walls of the village, with shinobi of all ranks trying, but failing, to stop the demon's rampage. Buildings were destroyed as they were crushed under paw, and powerful winds caused by the swing of the demons tails blew rubble everywhere. Even with the returning ANBU and such, the entirety of the Konoha military force could not wound the monster.

It was then that a bright flash appeared, immediately catching the attention of the combatants.

The Fourth stood atop a small building, actually surprised it was still standing. "We have to get it out of the village! Lead it toward the forests, and keep pushing it back, as far as you can! We can! We can't let it cause more damage to the inner village! ANBU, group yourselves around structures like the hospital, and other places we can't afford to lose!"

As he continued to announce his orders, a weight was lifted of all the ninja's shoulders. This was why Minato had been chosen to be Hokage; not because of his strength, not for his tactical ability, but because he was a natural leader.

The shinobi forces immediately went into action, following their Hokages orders with a newfound morale.

As the horde of Leaf soldiers moved toward the village exit, minato ran up the buildings and eventually up the rock face that lead up to the most revered structure in the whole village, the Hokage Monument. When he reached the top he perched himself, surveying the village from the high vantage point.

The Kyuubi had done a lot of damage but it wasn't as bad as it could have been. Most of the ventral village had been destroyed, where the merchants sold their wares, but the residential areas had suffered a much better. The most damage was to the western side, as the fox was lead out that direction. Well, baited out.

He could see some of his men were sealing up the shelters, preventing the civilians from suffering even worse casualties than they already had.

He barely jumped out of the way as he felt a chakra presence behind him. He backpedaled across the stone monument's uneven side, pulling dual kunai out and brandishing them in a defensive posture.

Minato could see his enemy, but not his face. He wore a black cloak and some sort of mask, with only a single eyehole. The most important thing the blonde noticed though, was that this enemy made no attempt at concealing his presence, and that he showed no signs of worry or fear, as if he was perfectly relaxed.

"You performed an advanced form of space-time ninjutsu before, with those disappearing acts. Who are you." It was phrased like a question, but it was a demand. The normally kind blonde man had eyes as cold and as hard as ice.

"So you sensed me coming, huh."

A scowling Minato spoke, "Tell me! Who are you and why are you doing this!"

The man lifted his arms above his head, "You could say it is both a whim and a plan. For war, for revenge, and…" he paused, "for peace."

"Peace?!", the Fourth screamed, "You call this peace?!"

Fed up, he threw forth a kunai at the man's head, astonished when it went through in the same vortex like a stone tossed into water, all in that same vortex like fashion as before. Exiting out the other side, it embedded itself in a far off stone wall.

"You're the Yondaime Hokage for a reason, I see. That kunai would have impaled most, at the rate I threw it."

"I'm not most!" Minato tossed another kunai, one of his special Hiraishin ones, at the man.

"Come now," it passed through him again, "Is that all you have?"

It all happened in a single moment.

Minato disappeared, the kunai he threw allowing him to flash. Now directly behind the masked man, he held his two hands together, manipulating his chakra into a swirling blue orb, "ODAMA RASENGAN!" He thrust it forward, directly at the close mystery enemies back.

The Fourth jumped back, snatching his discarded kunai from the stone that was carved in his image. Still, on edge, he stayed on alert as the smoke cleared.

When it had, the cloaked man stood slightly farther back, head bent downward, "Damn…"

As he said this, his mask cracked away, and Minato's eyes widened as he caught a glimpse of a Sharingan eye in the shadows, right before the unknown enemy vanished for the final time.

Standing still for a moment, making sure the evil chakra presence he had been forced to endure was really gone. Concluding so, it seemed, he immediately made his way to the battlefield.

-X-

Kushina stumbled and continued to cough up globs of blood as she quickly, made her way through the house. Already sealed inside a bag thrown across her back, was a scroll, containing all of her and Minato's techniques. Also within this bag was enough non-perishable food, supplies for baby Naruto, and two hitai-ite headbands: her standard, everyday black Konoha one, as well as her older, red Uzushio one.

Across the other side of her back was her katana, the tool she had used so brutally that she earned the name Akashi, the Red Death. The katana itself was beautiful: of standard length, with a dull red sheath, blood red wrappings, and golden pommel as well as hilt. This was Kitetsu, The Cursed Blade. All of it's past user died by its edge, but Kushina had tamed the demon inside long ago.

The very last thing she took was a picture. Framed in quality wood, it showed Minato, his arms around her waist and grinning, with her hands on her stomach, just barely showing her pregnancy, and a serene smile on her lips.

'I'm sorry, Minato. I can't let you do this to our son. I love you with all my heart, but I cannot condemn him to that life. Goodbye.'

She slipped the photo into her bag, gently rested naruto into the cloth she had tied around her waist, and quietly and fast as she could, left the house.

-X-

The Hokage stared, wide eyed, at the battlefield.

So many of his soldiers, his men, his friends… dead.

The demon fox continued to swing its blood red tails across the battlefield, throwing back ninja with the gale force winds it created. Kyuubi opened it's mouth, charging up his inner chakra, before releasing an immensely powerful chakra blast from its maw, killing tens of dozens in an instant.

Minato grit his teeth.

He went through a series of hand seals so fast the movements were nothing but a blur. Slamming his hand onto the ground, he yelled out, "Summoning!"

A series of seals spread across the ground, before, in a huge burst of smoke, Gamabunta, chief of the Toad Summons, appeared, giant pipe hanging out of his mouth.

Immediately seeing what was happening, he took a puff from his pipe, trying to seem calm, "This isn't good. Is Kushina…?"

"Yeah, you can say that again. She's alive." Minato, sitting atop the giant toad's head, spoke. "Listen. I need you to distract it, just for a few minutes. I have a plan."

Bunta's eyes grew wide, "You're not doing what I think you're doing!"

"It's the only way. Bunta, please." His eyes were filled with both pleading and anguish.

Gamabunta was quiet for a moment.

"Alright, kid. If you're sure."

Minato nodded, thanking his summon. "I'll be back soon. Just hold it off for a few minutes." The flashed away, to get Naruto.

-X-

The blonde Hokage arrived in his house and widened his eyes. The kitchen was torn apart, the door to the cellar, leading to where they kept their technique scrolls and such, was torn off, and the picture of he and his wife was gone.

"No… No!" He ran to their bedroom, knocking down the door.

There, laying on the bed, was a piece of paper.

A note.

He picked it up, slowly, and began to read it in his head,_ 'I'm sorry, my love. From the very first moment you stepped back into the house, I knew what you were going to do. I know you meant the best, but… I cannot allow our son to go through that. The horror, the pain. The people, taunting you, hating you… No. Not for him. We're leaving now, and we will not return. I will tell tales of his father to our son; how great of a ninja, and a man, he you. If you hate me for this, I'll understand. But, know this: I love you. I have always loved you, from the moment you rescued me, back when we were Genin, all the way to now. You are my one, true, love. Goodbye Minato, I am forever your's.'_

He dropped the parchment, tears rolling down his face, "Kushina, Naruto…"

He would never see his son grow up, to be a strong man, he would never hold his wife again, and yet, he could not bring himself to hate her. This is the choice she made, for Naruto.

He could understand that.

Minato wiped his face and composed himself.

He had a demon to kill.

The Hokage flashed back to the battlefield, noting that all the ninja still breathing, were gone. It was just the dead, and Gamabunta, struggling to overpower the fox.

"Where's the kid? What're you planning on doing!"

"Change of plans."

The man known as the Yellow Flash, the greatest ninja to ever come out of the Leaf, sped through an unusually long series of handsigns. When he was done, he announced, "DEAD DEMON CONSUMING SEAL."

"No, Minato! You'll die!"

He locked eyes with the giant toad above him, smiling, "It has been an honor, my friend. Goodbye, Bunta."

He then severed the summoning, the boss of the toads looking down, horrified, and then, disappearing in a plume of smoke, which cleared soon after, and it was if he was never there.

Minato turned to the Shinigami he had summoned with this forbidden technique, "I OFFER YOU UP MY SOUL, IF YOU WILL KILL THIS DEMON AND TAKE IT'S SOUL DOWN TO HELL WITH ME!"

The God of life and death grinned, a knife falling from between his teeth. He reached out to Minato, using the knife to sever the soul, an orb of the brightest blue, from his body. Minato, felt this, as if his heart had been crushed inside his body.

He saw the Shinigami do the same thing to the Kyuubi, though the god of death saw this soul as the darkest and the dirtiest red. The Kyuubi's body dissipated, the Death God mashing the two orbs, the two souls, into one, before swallowing it whole. He replaced the knife between his teeth, and then, he was gone.

On the barren ground below, ravaged by the battle, he stared up into what was turning into the morning sky. He smiled, the light in his eyes fading away, "Live happily, my son."

Minato Namikaze was dead.

-X-

Kushina walked through the forests, stumbling over stones and branches, feeling like she would pass out any minute now…

Suddenly, the sky grew brighter, the sun rising. She stopped, and looked up, closing her eyes.

She would go to The Island of Whirlpools.

To Uzushio no Gakure: the Village of the Whirling Tides.

She would go home.

-X-

_ATrulyRecklessDreamer._


End file.
